Understanding and Fostering Empathy in Nursing

Empathy, identified as a fundamental aspect of the nurse-client relationship, is considered as one of the essential nursing skills. However, there is disagreement on the definition of Empathy and its pertinence to nursing. Though Empathy has also been identified as an inborn quality, research shows that specific training courses are effective in teaching Empathy as a skill. Nursing educators must take efforts in this high-tech era to assist in fostering Empathy in nursing students so that their interactions and relationship with clients can be enhanced. This article aims to describe Empathy and to highlight its relevance in nursing.